The Single Digital Gateway is the European gateway for Europeans to information and procedures across the EU. A number of services must be made fully available digitally for cross-border traffic within the EU. Citizens and entrepreneurs have the right to submit data only once within the EU. The agreements about this are laid down in NLDIGIbeter. Halfway through 2019, an impact analysis will be made public about the intended introduction in the Netherlands.
Your Europe
The digital gateway will be known as “Your Europe”, a name that is already well-established. It will encompass a common user interface that will be incorporated in the existing YourEurope portal.
The interface is user-friendly, and available in all official EU languages.
Availability for users from other member states
The Single Digital Gateway will impact the current level of Dutch government. For instance, the regulation requires part of the current information and services to be made available in a different language. The principle behind this is that if a procedure is available to a citizen or entrepreneur of a member state, it should also be available to users from other member states. This information should then be supplied to the European portal.
Connecting to Single Digital Gateway
This regulation dictates that all Dutch governmental organisations must make their information sources in a number of sectors, as well as a number of specific services available to, and translate them for, EU citizens and companies from other member states. The regulation has been ratified by European Parliament.
Next steps
The regulation allows all national, regional and local authorities two to five years to prepare for the implementation of the requirements. Within two years, central governmental organisations must adjust their information supply for citizens and businesses. For local authorities, the deadline is in four years’ time.
Five years after the regulation has come into effect, all relevant procedures will be available to EU citizens and businesses, and provided with translated explanations. In those five years, member states will have to organize an exchange system that enables them to share supporting documents: if a citizen or company applies to a governmental organization, this organization should be able to request the relevant data from the applicant’s member state of origin.